Acetylene-gas-generating apparatus.



No. 649,8. Patented May l5, I900.

A. F. CHAGE.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed. Dec. 17, 1896.) (l lo Model.)

INVENTEJR Ens c0. PHQTQMTNQ, WASNNGTON. a, c.

rnict ALBERT F. CHACE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OI'IAOECARBIDE AND GAS GENERATOR COMPANY, OF MAINE.

MQETYLENE-GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 649,811, dated May 15, 1900.

Application filed December 17,1896. Serial No. 616;060. (Nu model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. CHACE, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Gas-GeneratingApparatus, of which the following is a specification'.

This invention relates to apparatus for generatin g acetylene gas by thereaction of water upon calcic carbid; and it has for its object toprovide a simple and effleient apparatus for economically and safelygenerating and storing acetylene gas in such quantities as may bedemanded by the consumer.

I5 Theinvention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, showing thefloating gas-reservoir raised to 25 shut oil the water. Fig. 4represents a partial side elevation and partial sectional view ofcertain details hereinafter referred to.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts inall the figures.

In the drawings, represents a water-tight casing or chamber containingan inverted floating gas-reservoir Z), which floats in a body of liquidcontained in the casing a.

represents a generatingchamber containing a receptacle 0 for calciccarbid and provided above said receptacle with a waterspraying pipe (1,adapted to supply water to the carbid. The pipe cl is supplied through apipe (1'', passing through one side of the 40 chamber 0 and through theadjacent wall of the casing a, said pipe being connected by a loop orU-shaped pipe d with a flexible section d which is connected by a valvedsection (1 with a water-supply chamber e, hereinafter referred to. Thegenerating-chamber c is provided at its upper portion with an annulartrough c, which contains a body of mercury or other suitable sealingmaterial receiving a flange c on a cover 0 which is 50 hinged at c tothe upperportion of the chamher a.

The cover 0 enables the chamber to be readily opened, while the trough cflange 0 and mercury seal form a tight joint, pre venting the leakage ofgas.

0 represents a gas-escape pipe connected with the chamber 0 and equippedwith a cock 0 and a burner-tip a the object being to enable the gasremaining in the chamber 0 to be disposed of before opening the chamberto renew the supply of carbid.

f represents a water-tank. which is located above the chamber 6 and ishere shownas supported by the top of the casing at. The said tank has abottom f, which forms the top of the chamber 6, and has an outlet fthrough which water flows into the chamber 6. The bottom of the chamber6 is inclined and has an openingf in line with the opening f the lowerportion of said bottom receiving the valved pipe connection d so thatwater flowing into the chamber e will flow down the inclined bottom tothe pipe connection d and will flow from thence to thegencrating-chamber.

9 represents a valve which is affixed to the gas-reservoir b and isformed as a vertical rod or spindle projecting into the openings f and fThe upper portion 2 of said valve is tapering and is of such size thatwhen any part of it is in the opening f it does not close said opening,but permits water to flow from the reservoir f to the chamber 6. Thelower portion 3 of the valve is of uniform diameter and is formed toclose the outlet f and prevent the escape of water therefrom, so thatwhen the reservoir b is depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, the taperingportion of the valve being in the outlet f water flows continuously tothe generating-chamber; but when the gas-reservoir is raised by thepressure of gas in it to the position shown in Fig. 3, the portion 3 ofthe valve being in the outlet fflsaid outlet is closed and the flow ofwater ceases. It will be seen, therefore, that when the pressure of gasin the reservoir 1) reaches or exceeds a 5 predetermined degree thesupply of water is shut off, so that the further generation of gasceases until the pressure is reduced by with drawal of the gas from thereservoir. Provision is made, however, for a sufficient upward movementof the gas-reservoir b after the outlet f has been closed to accommodatethe gas generated by the water remaining in the chamber 6 and in theportions of the water-conduit above the spraying device d, so that thelimited generation of gas after the water has been shut oit will notdangerously increase the pressure in the gas-reservoir.

This provision is made in the present in stance by the portion 3 of thevalve, said portion being of sufficient length to permit thereservoir 1) to rise sufliciently to accommodate the gas generated afterthe first shutting off of the Water, the portion 3 fitting the outlet fsufliciently to shut off the flow of water and being at the same timemovable in said outlet. The tapering form of the portion 2 of the valvecauses the valve to vary the quantity of water delivered to thegeneratingchamber, the quantity depending on the height of the reservoir1). Forinstance,when the reservoir is depressed or at the lowest extremeof its movement the valve permits a relatively-rapid flow of water tothe generating-chamber, so that there is a correspondingly-rapidgeneration of gas. As the reservoir b rises under the pressure of anaccumulation of gas the flow of water is proportionately checked untilit is entirely shut off by the portion 3 of the valve. Ilence there isnever an objectionable accumulation of water in the generating-chamberwhen the supply of water is shut off by the rise of the gasreservoir 5,the quantity of gas generated after the shutting off of the water-supplybeing therefore reduced to the minimum.

The gas generated in the chamber 0 passes to the gas-reservoir I)through a pipe '6, which extends from a point within the chamber 0,above the bottom thereof, downwardly and upwardly through the bottom ofthe casing a into the gas-reservoir b. To provide for the escape fromthe pipe 2' of any water that may accumulate therein, I provide the pipe1' with a branch 1'', extending downwardly into a water-tank j, whichcontains a body of water, acting as a seal for the lower end of thebranch pipe 2", said pipe being preferably bent, as shown in Fig. 1. Thepipe 1 and its water seal 3 also constitute a safety-valve, permittingthe gas to escape from the reservoir bin case of any dangerous increaseof pressure therein, the water seal being adapted to prevent the escapeof gas, excepting when the pressure in the holder 1) reaches a dangerouspoint.

To provide for the thorough escape of any water which may accumulate inthe generating-chamber 0, either by dropping through the carbid-holder cor by the trickling down the walls of the chamber 0 of water formed bycondensation on said walls, I provide a pipe k, which extends from thebottom of the generating-chamber c downwardly and upwardly through thebottom of the casing a into the gas-reservoir b. The end of the pipewithin. the gas-holder is preferably lower than the end whichcommunicates with the generating-chamber, so that water from saidchamber will be discharged into the gasholder.

m represents a service-pipe which extends from the interior of thegas-reservoir b to the bottom of the casing a and supplies the gas tothe burners.

n represents a secondary floating gas-reservoir which is adapted toreceive any excess of gas-pressure that may accumulate in thegas-reservoir b, which I will now term the primary reservoir. A pipe 0,extending from the interior of the primary reservoir 11 downwardlythrough the bottom of the casing to, extends upwardly through the bottomof a casing 19, which contains the secondary reservoir n and is arrangedto discharge gas within the secondary reservoir. The pipe 0 is providedwith a valve adapted to yield automatically in the direction of thearrow :1: in

Fig. 1, so that when the pressure in the primary gas-reservoir exceedsthe point which the said valve is adapted to resist the valve yields andpermits the passage of gas through the pipe 0 to the secondary reservoir71.. Said valve may be constructed as shown in Fig. 2, where I show acasing r connected to two sections of the pipe 0, the lower portion ofsaid casing containing an annular trough r, which contains a body ofmercury. The mercury in the trough r supports an inverted-cupshapedvalve r which is vertically movable and has a stem r movable in a guide1". Gaspressure from the tank I) exerted against the valve T will raisesaid valve, and when the pressure becomes suificient will break the sealbetween it and the mercury in the trough 7", so that the gas will passthrough the casing 0" into the secondary reservoir n. The gas thustransferred from the primary reservoir to the secondary reservoir may bedrawn from the latter by anysuitable means. I prefer to provide meansfor automatically returning the gas from the secondary reservoir n tothe primary reservoir 1) when the pressure in the latter shall havebecome sufficiently reduced. To this end I show a pipe 3, extending fromwithin the secondary reservoir n downwardly through the bottom of thecasing 13 and upwardly through the bottom of the casing a into theprimary reservoir Z). Said pipe 8 has an automaticallyopening valvesimilar to that shown in Fig. 2, the pipe 8 being arranged so that saidvalve will be opened by pressure from within the secondary reservoirn.The reservoir 92 should be weighted so that it will yield to receive gasfrom the reservoir Z) when the pressure in the latter exceeds apredetermined degree and will force gas back to the reservoir Z2 throughthe pipe 3 when the pressure in the reservoir 1) falls below apredetermined degree.

- I do not limit myself to the details of construction here shown anddescribed and may variously modify the same Without departing from thespirit of my invention.

8' represents a diaphragm loosely mounted on the valve gin the chamber 6and adapted to slip on the valve and at the same time hug it closely.The object of the diaphragm is to prevent the water flowing through theoutlet f from leaking through the opening f into the casing (L, thediaphragm constituting a roof over the opening f deflecting the watertherefrom. The valve slips up and down in the diaphragm, and in movingupwardly presses the diaphragm against the lower end of the valve-seat fSaid seat has a groove or waterway f Fig. 4, which prevents thediaphragm from shutting off the flow of water through the outlet. Thediaphragm may be a disk or sheet of rubber held against the valve by itsown resilience, or it maybe made of plates of sheet metal drawn inwardlyby springs against the valve.

I claim 1. In a gas-generator, the combination of a generating-chamber,a water-reservoirhaving an outlet connected with the generatingchamber,a floating gas-reservoir also connected with the generating-chamber, anda valve formed as a rod or plug extending in the direction of movementof the gas-reservoir and movable with the latter in said out-' let.

2. In a gas-generator, the combination of a generating-chamber, awater-reservoir and a floating gasn'eservoir both connected with thegenerating-chamber, and a valve formed as a rod or plug movable with thegas'reservoir in the outlet of the water-reservoir, said valve having atapering upper portion formed to graduate the flow of water through theoutlet, and an outlet closing lower portion formed to move in theoutlet, whereby the gas-reservoir is permitted to rise after the closingof the outlet.

3. In a gas-generator, the combination of a generatirig-chamber, afloating gas-reservoir connected therewith, a WttGldGSBlVOll having anoutlet in its bottom, a water chamber below the water-reservoir adaptedto receive water from said outlet and connected with thegeneratingchamber to deliver water thereto, said chamber having anopening in its bottom coinciding with the said outlet, and a valveformed as a rod or plug movable with the gas-reservoir in the opening inthe bottom of the said water-chamber and in the out-let of the waterreservoir and formed to open and close said opening by movinglongitudinally therein, the said water-chamber and valve havingprovisions for preventing escape of water through the valve-receivingopening in the bottom of the chamber.

4-. In a gas-generator, the combination of a generating-chamber, afloating gas-reservoir connected therewith, a water-reservoir having anoutlet in its bottom, a supplemental chamber below the water-reservoir,having an inclined bottom provided with an opening coinciding with thereservoir-outlet, a con duit connected with the lower portion of saidinclined bottom and extending to the generating-chamber, a verticalvalve affixed to the gas-reservoir and entering the opening in theinclined bottom and the outlet in the bottom of the water-reservoir,said valve having a tapering upper portion, and a diaphragm looselyconnected with the valve between the Waterreservoir outlet and theinclined bottom, to prevent water flowingfrom said outlet from passingthrough the valve-opening in the inclined bottom.

5. In a gas-generator, the combination of a generating-chamber, aprimary floating gasreservoir connected therewith, a secondary floatinggas-reservoir, a conduit connecting the two reservoirs and having avalve which yields to allow gas to pass from the primary to thesecondary reservoir, and a return-conduit connecting the two reservoirsand having a valve whichyields to permit the return of the gas from thesecondary to the primary reservoir.

6. A gas-generator comprising a water-reservoir having an outlet orvalve-seat in its bottom and a waterway extending outwardly from saidoutlet, a generating-chamber con nected with said outlet, a floatinggas-reser voir connected with the generatingchamher, a valve carried bythe gas-reservoir and projecting into the outlet, and a diaphragm AllEERT F. CHAOE.

\Vi tness es S. V. WooDnUFr, O. F. BROWN.

